Microsoft to axe Word plagiarism checker on 3 October
Microsoft is retiring Word's Similarity Checker on 3 October 2026, removing the built-in plagiarism and originality detection tool from Microsoft Editor. The feature, which scanned text against online sources and returned a similarity percentage so users could add citations or rewrite content, is being cut as Microsoft says it wants to focus on capabilities more widely used across Word. Organisations relying on it for checking originality will need to find alternative tools, though Word's citation, spelling and grammar functions remain untouched.
Launched in 2020 and powered by Bing Search, Similarity Checker compared user text against web sources to flag potential plagiarism. Microsoft 365 Copilot and other editing tools are unaffected by the withdrawal, though Microsoft has explicitly stated Copilot is not designed to serve as a formal similarity or plagiarism-validation tool. The company hasn't published usage figures, but its framing suggests the feature saw limited adoption, and its removal sits somewhat awkwardly against Microsoft's heavy recent push to embed Copilot AI features throughout Office.
In short
- Word's Similarity Checker plagiarism tool retires 3 October 2026.
- Feature compared text to online sources for a similarity score.
- Copilot remains, but isn't meant as a plagiarism-checking replacement.
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The case for
Microsoft can reasonably retire a tool it says was used less widely, so it can concentrate development on features that serve more Word users. Similarity Checker offered an initial comparison with online sources, but organisations needing dependable originality checks can choose specialist services suited to their requirements.
The case against
Removing a built-in check may leave students, educators and organisations without a convenient way to spot passages that need citation or revision. Even an imperfect tool could support responsible writing, and Microsoft’s decision may seem difficult to reconcile with its investment in other Office features, particularly when Copilot is not a substitute for formal plagiarism checking.
Explained simply
Word’s Similarity Checker was a tool in Microsoft Editor that compared writing with material found online and showed how much text matched. Launched in 2020 and powered by Bing Search, it was intended to help people spot passages that might need a citation or rewriting.
Microsoft makes Word and Microsoft Editor, which also provide tools such as spelling and grammar checks. The Similarity Checker is separate from Word’s citation tools and Microsoft 365 Copilot, and Microsoft says Copilot is not designed to formally check for plagiarism.
The change matters to schools, workplaces and other organisations that use the checker to review writing. They will need another way to check originality; Word’s other citation, spelling and grammar features remain available.
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Originally published by The Register as “My Word. Microsoft’s prepping Similarity Checker for retirement”.